Time and time again, I’ve heard the rule that you should never do a bold eye and a bold lip at the same time. But I’ve seen it done in magazines and the red carpet and it looks stunning. Can you recommend some tips for achieving this look in real life?

Thanks!Tara

Tara,

The trick to achieving the look of a bold eye andbold lip in real life is to do it at the right time and for the right occasion. If not, you just won’t feel confident or comfortable.

To start experimenting with the bold look, use sheer formulas and textures. Instead of black smokey eyes and a matte opaque red lip, pair a sheer red lip color with a strong smokey eye using shimmery bronze shadow. Keep your skin natural and glowing, but make your lashes long and dramatic.

I guarantee you that in no time you will be inspiring other girls to be bold and beautiful, just like you ;-).

Thanks for visiting Makeup Mondays with Mario!xo,

Mario

Got a question for Mario? Email your makeup and skin care queries to spoiledprettyquestions@gmail.com, and check back next Monday to read Mario’s expert advice!

I’m back with with an update to my CoverGirl LipPerfection Transformation Challenge. It’s day six, and I’ve already noticed an improvement in the texture of my lips. I haven’t applied lip balm since the I started this challenge, and my lips don’t miss it. And this speaks volumes because I am a lip balm addict, usually slathering it on several times daily.

Since I started wearing CoverGirl LipPerfection exclusively, my lips have been slightly more hydrated – and MUCH smoother. Typically, before I apply lipstick, I have to exfoliate my lips because the lipstick exaggerates every flaw. But this lipcolor lets me skip that step.

Day two was a warm Spring day in Philadelphia, so I was thinking pink. I chose “Delight,” a sparkly pink that wore nicely all day long and made me smile when I caught glimpse of my reflection that afternoon. On days three and four, I rocked a red pout – LipPerfection shade “Hot Passion” (seen below). I think that this may become my signature scarlet lip. I kept the rest of my face relatively bare and let my lips be the main attraction. I usually reserve a red lip for special occasions, but this shade looked so pretty (not to mention juicy) that I’ve added it to the regular rotation.

After two days of channeling Gwen Stefani, I decided to play it a little more low key – and opted for more natural shades…so I wore “Hypnotic” and “Captivate” on days five and six.

LipPerfection’s “Silk Moisturizing Complex” promises to improve lip condition in just 7 days, but I’ve seen and feel a noticeable difference already. I’ll be back soon with a recap of my week-long love affair with LipPerfection. Watch out, Angelina. *COVERGIRL is compensating me for my time and participation in the LipPerfection Transformation Challenge; however, all opinions shared are my own.

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Back in February, I had an opportunity to test COVERGIRL’s newest lipstick, LipPerfection lipcolor. LipPerfection does double duty – while drenching your pout in rich, creamy color, it performs like a treatment. Silk therapy moisturizers hydrate and smooth dry lips. So, the more you wear it, the better your lips look and feel. COVERGIRL promises the product’s “Silk Moisturizing Complex” provides smooth gorgeous color and sustained levels of moisture to actually improve lip condition in just 7 days.

After testing it out for a few days, off and on, I was so impressed by the flattering shades, staying power and unique formula that I included it in a Beauty Breakthroughs article I penned for Philadelphia Magazine. But, to be honest, I didn’t test it for seven days straight, so I really couldn’t verify the better-lips-in-a-week claim.

But a few weeks ago, I was contacted by COVERGIRL – and they asked me to do just that. So I agreed to take the “LipPerfection Transformation Challenge” and wear nothing but LipPerfection on my lips for a week. Over the next seven days, I’ll be chronicling my experience here, sharing my experience with the product. And this time, next week, I’ll let you know whether or not to believe the hydration hype.

So for the first day of the challenge, I decided to go for the something out of my comfort zone. When I wear makeup, nine times out of ten, I wear lipgloss – and a nude/neutral one, at that. COVERGIRL sent me all 44 shades of LipPerfection, so I had a plethora of pretty shades to choose from.

Siren (left), Tempt (right)

I opted for a richly pigmented, bright pink called Siren. It applied very smoothly and felt comfortable on my lips. But after seeing my reflection in the mirror, I felt that it was a little light for my complexion. I was running late for work and didn’t feel like taking it off and starting over – so I grabbed a wine shade, called Tempt, and layered it on top. The result was a gorgeous fuchsia that garnered a handful of compliments at work, and made me feel like a more polished version of myself.

My lips didn’t feel or get dry, and I didn’t feel the urge to swipe on lip balm throughout the day, like I usually do. And it gets better: my lipstick looked freshly applied all day long (even after lunch!) and even when it faded in the late afternoon, it left behind a uniform, intentional looking stain.

So far, so good. I’ll be back in a few days for an update.*COVERGIRL is compensating me for my time and participation in the LipPerfection Transformation Challenge; however, all opinions shared are my own.